Lamp holder



1957 E; J. PETRICK 2,808,219

LAMP HOLDER Filed July 27, 1955 United States Patent LAlVlP HOLDER Edward J. Petrick, Park Ridge, 111., *assignor to Bretford Manufacturing, Inc., Franklin Park, 11]., :a corporation of Illinois Application July 27, 1955, SerialNo. 524,691

2-C-laims. ((31. 248- 1 26) The present invention relates to lamp holders, and more particularly to a supporting frame for such a holder which is adapted to support the holder in a variety of operative positions. x

Therlamp holder of the present invention has met with considerable commercial success because its structure is especially well adapted for 'use in a great number of ways. The supporting .frame of the device enables it to be equally well employed in either upright or suspended position, and the electric lamp receptacle is readily adjustable with respect to the frame. Such versatility, coupled with the lightness and portability of the holder, makes the device particularly useful in cases where beams of light are directed at certain angles to show up commercial displays or artificial scenes to best advantage. The holders are relatively small and may be easily hidden from view. In addition, they may be easily and conveniently arranged at the desired height and angle to illuminate the objects desired.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved lamp holder.

Another object is to provide a multi-purpose lamp holder having a supporting frame which is equally well adapted for use in either upright or suspended position.

A further object is to provide an integrally formed supporting frame for a lamp holder which will permit angular adjustment of the lamp receptacle with respect to the frame when in operative position.

Still another object is to provide a multi-purpose lamp holder which is inexpensive to make and assemble on a mass production basis.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the lamp holder in upright position;

Fig. 2, a bottom plan view of the lamp holder;

Fig. 3, a side elevational view illustrating the lamp holder in suspended position from a projection on an upright surface; and

Fig. 4, a side elevational view illustrating the lamp holder in suspended position with a portion of the bridge member of the supporting frame hooked over the upper edge of an upright member.

In the embodiment illustrated, a socket of a usual type of construction may be secured within a cup-shaped body 11, as by threaded screws 12. The socket 10 is adapted to threadably receive an electric lamp 13 and has a lower portion 14 of dielectric material which projects through an opening in the bottom of the base. The portion 14 has a central opening 15 to admit lead wires 16 for making an electrical connection with the socket 10.

The generally cup-shaped body 11 is provided with a pair of outwardly extending trunnions 17, preferably formed from headed rivets, which form bearing surfaces for supporting the body 11 of the lamp holder.

The lamp holder is preferably formed so that the socket 10 and body 11 may be manually adjustable with respect to a supporting frame, generally designated 18,

2,808,219 Patented Oct. 1, 1957 .2 .to enable the lamp 13 to bedirectedin the desired direction. In'addition, the frame 18 is constructed so as to permit the lamp holder to be employed in operative position in either an upright or suspended manner.

The supporting frame is preferably .formed from .a continuous length of relatively heavy metal wire. The integral piece of wire may he bent to form a -pair of generally rounded or looped portions 19 and 20, and each of the looped portions are fastened about a ?trunnion 17 .in frictional embrace so as to swingably support thecup-shaped body 11 a and \yieldir gly retain it in manually adjustable positions relative to the "supporting frame 1'8. The frame 18 is also preferably further bent to form two pairs of legs, 21 and 22, and 23 and '24, each .pair -of which emanates from :its respective rlooped portion, 192and 20, on opposite :sides of the body 11. The legs .preferably diverge outwardly in chevron fashion from their respective looped portions to lend :stability to the support, and terminate :in a number of surface contacting fiends, :shown at r25, r26, 27 :and 28. Allofthe surface contacting ends ilie in .a common plane so that the lamp holder will be maintained in an -upright3position when supported on a plane surface. The legs 21 and 23 may be provided with rubber or plastic end caps, if desired.

As can be most clearly seen in Fig. 2, the two legs 22 and 24 are joined at their surface contacting ends 26 and 28 by a bridge member, generally designated 29, which preferably has undulated portions so that the medial portions of the bridge diverge from a straight line joining the bridge-connected ends, 26 and 28. The bridge member 29 is preferably provided at its center with an indentation or crooked portion 30 so that the holder may be suspended from a projection or peg 31 in an upright surface or wall 32, as shown in Fig. 3. In addition, it is preferred that the medial or diverging portions of the bridge member be formed so as to extend generally toward the two contacting ends 25 and 27 of the legs 21 and 22. As best seen in Figs. 2 and 4, such an arrangement forms a hook-like member, as indicated at 33, between the bridge member 29 and the legs 22 and 24 so that the holder may be suspended in operative position from the upper edge of an upright member 34, such as the back of a chair or the headboard of a bed.

When in the suspended position shown in either Fig. 3 or Fig. 4, the body 11 of the lamp holder is held in spaced relation with respect to the upright member by the forward supporting legs 21 and 23 to enable the body 11 of the lamp holder to be swung manually to direct the beam from the electric lamp 13 in the desired direction. Thus the structure of the invention provides a lamp holder which may be employed in a variety of operative positions, and which may be manually adjusted in each of the positions which may be selected for use.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim: V

1. A multi-purpose lamp holder having an electrical socket for threadably receiving an electric lamp, comprising: a generally cup-shaped body for supporting the lampreceiving socket; and a supporting frame formed from an integral length of relatively stiff material and swingably joined to said body to permit relative swinging movement between the frame and body, said frame including a pair of front and a pair of rear leg members each having surface contacting portions disposed in a common plane for supporting the frame upon a surface, the rear pair of leg members being joined by a bridge member having diverging portions positioned above the plane of said surface contacting portions and extending toward the front pair of leg members to form a hook member With the rear pair of legs, said bridge member also having an intermediate crooked portion adapted to receive a projection on an upright surface so that the supporting frame may be supsended on an upright surface or hooked over an upper edge of an upright member as desired.

bearing surfaces for supporting the body; and a supporting frame formed from an integral length of continuous wire and having a pair of looped portions each extending about one of the trunnions in frictional engagement therewith to secure the frame to the cup-shaped body and to enable said cup-shaped body to be held in varying positions of adjustment with respect to the supporting frame, said supporting frame having a pair of front and a pair of rear leg members extending in chevron fashion from each of the looped portions, each of said legs having surface contacting ends arranged in a common plane to maintain the frame in upright position upon a surface, the rear pair of leg members being joined by a bridge member having diverging portions positioned above the plane of said surface contacting portions and extending toward the front pair of leg members to form a hook member with the rear pair of legs, said bridge member also having an intermediate crooked portion adapted to receive a projection on an upright surface so that the supporting frame may be suspended on an upright surface or hooked over an upper edge of an upright member as desired.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 292,116 Hubbard Jan. 15, 1884 651,129 Becker June 5, 1900 1,222,573 Claussen Apr. 10, 1917 2,027,605 McCord J an. 14, 1936 2,072,519 Carpenter Mar. 2, 1937 2,292,854 Wilcox Aug. 11, 1942 2,444,540 Stoech July 6, 1948 2,570,329 Dunkelberger Oct. 9, 1951 2,620,232 King Dec. 2, 1952 2,620,388 Franz Dec. 2, 1952 2,778,931 Cruz Jan. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 467,834 Canada Sept. 5, 1950 

